Quick Sketch Drawing - Spring 2011

Here is an assortment of figure drawings from my sketchbook since February of 2011.  These are all quick sketches that were anywhere from 1 to 20 minute poses.  Enjoy and comments are welcome.

Southern Weeds - Opening

 

Last night was the Opening Reception for my Southern Weeds exhibition at Artspace in Raleigh NC.  It was a fun night seeing old friends and meeting new ones.  Here are a few shots from the evening.  

 

Friends Sue Lyon and Scott Burdick drove all the way from 

Winston-Salem area just to see my weeds!  Thanks :)

Winding down the evening.

Southern Weeds 

is on exhibition thru May 28th

Artspace

210 E. Davie St.

Raleigh, NC 27601

www.artspacenc.org

My artist statement can be read by clicking here or by clicking on the "botanical" label.

Thank you to everyone who came to show love and support, especially to the very special family members who traveled some distance.  It means a great deal that you were there.  And a very Happy Birthday to my favorite 7 year old.  Thank you for sharing your special day with me.  

Invitation

Woohoo the invitations are in!

Please join me at the Opening Reception on First Friday, May 6th from 6-10pm.

Artspace -201 E. Davie St. Raleigh, NC 27601

(...psst, I'm still painting.  Images of all 10 weeds coming soon :))

Plein Air in Spring

These last few weeks, I have been pushing hard to finish up a few more Southern Weed paintings for my show coming up in May at Artspace.  I am getting anxious and tired, and still have far to go to be "finished" (and then framing and photography needs to miraculously happen).  This push is an exciting time though.  And I think the body of work is slowly growing into something lovely as a whole.  For awhile, I was cursing plants and my initial attraction to them, but I've come again to a spot of appreciation and admiration.  I think now, weeds will find their way into all of my work. 

In the meantime, I have also been trying my hand at plein air landscape painting. Since the Women Painting Women group painting trip to Charleston, SC in November last year, I have been inspired to get more proficient at Plein Air painting.  In a setting, responding to changing light, and conditions is so thrilling and yes, sometimes frustrating as well.  This past weekend, I had the chance to go out and paint some local scenes.  I am lucky to live in an area with these spots of splendor just minutes away.  Take a look.  Thoughts are always welcome.  Happy Painting folks! 

Jenks Farm, oil on panel, 8" x 10"

Jordan Lake, oil on panel, 10" x 12"

Random Life Drawings

Southern Weeds continued

Well, nothing gets you moving on a project like a pressing deadline.  Such is the case with my Southern Weeds series.  This series will be exhibited in May for a solo exhibition at ArtSpace in Raleigh, NC (in the upfront gallery).  It has been a while since I've mentioned these botanical paintings - so as a refresher feel free to revisit a few thoughts and images by clicking HERE and HERE.

I am anxiously awaiting the re-growth of the blackberry bush in my back yard so that I can paint the first sprigs for this blackberry triptych.

Blackberry, oil on panel, 8" x 18" (Center and left panels)

In the meantime, we have been enjoying some very lovely weather.  It is just starting to feel like spring here in North Carolina.  I found these tiny blue flowers happily sprouting under a water spout, near the foundation of our home.  

 Brick and Speedwell, oil on panel, 8" x 8"

I may do one more pass on this painting, if the weather continues to hold out.  It has been so wonderful to sit on the (weedy) lawn to paint this from life.  I hope where ever you may be reading this, that you are starting to feel the warmth of spring.

The Figure at RICA

I am so elated to share that Raleigh Institute of Contemporary Art will now be offering Open Figure Drawing sessions starting Feb 17th.  These uninstructed live model sessions will run every Thursday 7-10pm.  This is a great opportunity to brush up on those drawing skills for only $10 ($8 for currently enrolled students).  No pre-registration necessary.  Join me on Thursday nights! 

ALSO-

I will be offering two Contemporary Portrait Painting Workshops this February at RICA.  These one day workshops will help you learn to create an accurate, dynamic portrait in oil as you capture the features and proportions of our model.  Working from life, we will study structure, value, color-mixing strategies and application techniques for creating lively skin tones in an alla prima portrait.  This class is for all levels.  

Sign up for one or both: Thursday, February 17th 10-2pm or Sunday February 20th 1-5pm.  $65 plus a $10 model fee.  More information on RICA's Workshop page.


Raleigh Institute of Contemporary Art
464 S. Dawson St. 
Raleigh, NC 27601
919-800-0208
www.ricanc.com

 

Four Paintings at GMA

Here are the four paintings of mine that are included in the Greenville Museum of Art's exhibition mentioned in the post below.  I really enjoyed speaking with the curator as to why she chose these particular paintings.  She explained that "these pieces really give a good view of women in self-reflection through out different ages.

Becoming, oil on panel, 24" x 24"

Mother Reading, oil on panel, 20" x 16"

 

Kitchen Window, oil on panel, 48"x 36"

Paige at Mirror, oil on panel, 36" x 24"

Thank you to all who came out for the opening reception!

Greenville Museum of Art

Last night was the Opening Reception for the Greenville Museum of Art's exhibition titled A Woman's Place: Exploring the Female Identity.  Sculptures, paintings, drawings, mezzotints and fabric works of seven artists are included in this show.  A beautiful, full color catalog is available by contacting the museum.  I am honored to be showing in this historic North Carolina art museum.  Thank you to Director Charlotte Fitz and the wonderful staff of the Greenville Museum of Art for all your hard work.  Also, a huge thank you to the sponsors who made the catalog possible.  The seven artists included in the exhibition are: (links included for those I could find)

Valerie Jean Bailey

Alia El-Bermani

Jill Eberle

Kiki Farish

Holly Fischer

Amy Freeman

Dazzala Knight

on the far wall left to right works by: Jill Eberel, Valerie Jean Bailey, Alia El-Bermani, and Kiki Farish
sculptures by: Holly Fischer

 sculpture by Holly Fischer; paintings by Amy Freeman

A Woman's Place : Exploring the Female Identity

January 28 - March 20, 2011

Greenville Musuem of Art 

802  S. Evans St

Greenville, NC 27834

252-758-1946

January Long Pose II

Dave, oil on panel, 10" x 8"

Here is the long pose painting after one more 3 hour session yesterday.  I am so happy to have had the opportunity to have painted Dave.  He is a fantastic model!  The light changed a bit so the shape of the shadow on his cheek and cast shadow onto his torso were a bit different, but I don't mind those kind of shifts.  It's good to note them, but to be flexible and in the moment take what is before you and do what you can with it.  I'm torn whether or not I'll do another 3 hours on it.  I think this works as a study, and need not be noodled (which might be where it would go with another session).  What do you think?

January Long Pose

Dave, oil on panel, 10" x 8"

Every now and again, Artspace in Raleigh, holds a long pose figure session where one three hour pose is revisited 3 times over the course of a month.  They are starting the New Year off right, with such sessions this January.  I will be enjoying this cost affective way of getting some life painting in.  Here is what I came up with so far on Saturday.  There was some talk by some of the other participants to move the model against the wall next time, or even switch the pose.  I was hoping to get at least one more session on this one (there are some cool pipes up behind his head that I would like to get in) , but if not, that's ok.  It's just good to get the eyes moving.  Thank you to our fantastic model Dave - who held the pose for 45 minutes at a time.  Ouch!

Jay

Blue Jay, oil on panel, 12" x 12"

Here is a recent painting of a Blue Jay that flew into an on coming car this past summer.  My daughter and I witnessed the poor bird's accident while on a walk together.  As you may know, I have been painting dead birds for at least a decade.  The first dead bird was a Mourning Dove left as a prize by our cat.  After that first painting, people started to bring me their cat kills and dead bird finds.  I see these birds as fleeting gifts of infinite beauty.  It is a challenge and honor to try to capture that beauty.  You can find a few examples of my previous bird paintings on the still life page of  my website.  Unfortunately, most of the birds were photographed using old school 35 mm slide film.  Remember that stuff?  Well, those slides don't scan so well and those paintings have found good homes long ago.  So I don't have very good images to share with you.  I guess I'll just have to keep painting new ones.  :) 

Blue Jay, oil on panel, 12" x 12" (detail)

Blue Jay, oil on panel, 12" x 12" (detail)